Will Mason
LightNews LightNews
banner
willmasonmusic.com
Will Mason
@willmasonmusic.com
3.6K followers 1.3K following 1.3K posts
Musician and composer • assoc. professor of music, Skidmore College • “experimental yet still catchy” — New York Times • repost = 👀

willmasonmusic.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
willmasonmusic.com
Will Mason @willmasonmusic.com · Jan 10
My latest album is out today on @newfocuslabel.bsky.social. It's called "Hemlocks, Peacocks" and features Anna Webber, Daniel Fisher-Lochhead, deVon Russell Gray, and me. I made a score follower video for the first track for those who are curious.

youtu.be/RSKcnoVlcwU?...
Will Mason - Hemlocks (score follower) feat. Anna Webber, Daniel Fisher-Lochhead, deVon Russell Gray
YouTube video by Will Mason
youtu.be
Reposted by Will Mason
npr.org
From 400-year-old globes to cosmic funeral shrouds, how the Osher Map Library in Maine shows people that maps aren't just for navigation — but windows into history, culture, and how we see the world. n.pr/44Ognqv
From 400-year-old globes to cosmic shrouds: A Maine library brings maps to life
From 400-year-old globes to cosmic funeral shrouds, how the Osher Map Library in Maine shows people that maps aren't just for navigation — but windows into history, culture, and how we see the world.
n.pr
December 7, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Will Mason
anthonymkreis.bsky.social
The entire debate over birthright citizenship is anti-constitutional because the purpose, intent, and text of the 14th Amendment were designed to foreclose any argument about who counts as an American citizen.
December 5, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
jonathancohn.bsky.social
A wealth tax is a big tent policy unless the only people you care about are billionaires.
thetnholler.bsky.social The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 2d
Gov. @gavinnewsom says he disagrees with Mayor @zohrankmamdani about the need for a wealth tax on billionaires, which he is “adamantly against” - says Dems are a “big tent party” with both views.

More on the CA proposal: www.sacbee.com/news/politic...
December 5, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Reposted by Will Mason
jaxcheese.bsky.social
@willmasonmusic.com et al - newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hemloc...

I guess I tend to think of (western) microtonal music as programmed or else intricately, painstakingly laid out and performed in the manner of automatons. the boldly evident physicality of the (v impressive, understated)--
Hemlocks, Peacocks, by Will Mason Quartet
7 track album
newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
chrislhayes.bsky.social
Incredible optics here, really underscores it all.
justinbaragona.bsky.social Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 3d
Trump, continued: "What the Somalian people have done to Minnesota is not even believable. It’s not even believable. And a lot of it starts with the governor. A lot of it starts with Barack HUSSEIN Obama, because that’s when people started coming in... They want to kiss our country good night."
December 3, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
jakemgrumbach.bsky.social
After becoming a congressional leader, a politician’s stock portfolio beats out those of peers by 47 (!!!) percentage points a year through trades timed around bills and firms that later get government contracts

www.nber.org/papers/w34524

via @florianederer.bsky.social
"Captain Gains" on Capitol Hill Shang-Jin Wei & Yifan Zhou WORKING PAPER 34524 DOI 10.3386/w34524 ISSUE DATE November 2025 Using transaction-level data on US congressional stock trades, we find that lawmakers who later ascend to leadership positions perform similarly to matched peers beforehand but outperform them by 47 percentage points annually after ascension. Leaders' superior performance arises through two mechanisms. The political influence channel is reflected in higher returns when their party controls the chamber, sales of stocks preceding regulatory actions, and purchase of stocks whose firms receiving more government contracts and favorable party support on bills. The corporate access channel is reflected in stock trades that predict subsequent corporate news and greater returns on donor-owned or home-state firms. 令 1 1 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 Year Figure 2: Estimated dynamic quasi-difference-in-differences coefficient, di, of equation(3), with vertical dashed lines representing 90 percent confidence intervals. The point estimate of the year in which the lawmaker became a congressional leader (Year 0) is normalized to zero. BHAR over the 250 days following each trade is the dependent variable and calculated using the Fama-French five-factor plus momentum as the benchmark model.
December 3, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Reposted by Will Mason
chanda.blacksky.app
This is an ethnic cleansing campaign
December 3, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by Will Mason
totalvibration.bsky.social
Embrace winter’s sadness with flowery riffs; listen to wimpy black metal. flowingdownward.bandcamp.com/album/radio-...
Radio Nocturna Vol 2: Voces del pasado, by APRS
7 track album
flowingdownward.bandcamp.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
caitlinmoriah.bsky.social
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
December 1, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Reposted by Will Mason
cooperlund.online
I don’t think this guy actually knows what the first amendment protects? The first amendment certainly doesn’t protect a student from receiving a bad grade on an essay we all can read and judge as awful, that’s horseshit.
December 1, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
danvock.bsky.social
“The problem is, there’s generally no going back once prices rise. And for good reason.”

I really wish we would have had more stories like this ahead of last year’s election, when it seemed people were mad about inflation because prices didn’t go down

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Why you may not want lower prices as much as you think you do
Though Americans might be clamoring for relief on groceries, housing and energy costs, economists say there’s a bigger downside to falling prices.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
westerberghs89.bsky.social
[ Gasping for air ]
JohnSnowsPump • 21h ago • Edited 20h ago Also the bass player for Pavement. When he's not gigging, he tends bar. Just the nicest guy. ◎个15k少 Reply ••• GibsMcKormik • 19h ago Hey, you got to pay your dues before you pay your rent. 个
November 30, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
kissphoria.bsky.social
idk not to mention how very nuanced and normal the actual response here was
Trans Professors comment Mel Curth (She/They) November 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM Please note that I am not deducting points because you have certain beliefs, but instead I am deducting point for you posting a reaction paper that does not answer the questions for this assignment, contradicts itself, heavily uses personal ideology over empirical evidence in a scientific class, and is at times offensive. While you are entitled to your own personal beliefs, there is an appropriate time or place to implement them in your reflections. I encourage all students to question or challenge the course material with other empirical findings or testable hypotheses, but using your own personal beliefs to argue against the findings of not only this article, but the findings of countless articles across psychology, biology, sociology, etc. is not best practice. You argue that abiding by normative gender roles is beneficial (it is perfectly fine to believe this. but to then say that evervone should act TPUSA OU Trans Professors comment the same, while also saying that people aren't pressured into gendered expectations is contradictory, especially since your arguments reflect a religious pressure to act in gender-stereotypical ways. You can say that strict gender norms don't create gender stereotypes, but that isn't true by definition of what a stereotype is. Please note that acknowledging gender stereotypes does not immediately denote a negative connotation, a nuance this article discusses. Additionally, to call an entire group of people "demonic" is highly offensive, especially a minoritized population. You are entitled to your own beliefs, but this isn't a vague narrative of "society pushes lies," but instead the result of countless years developing psychological and scientific evidence for these claims and directly interacting with the communities involved. You may personally disagree with this, but that TPUSA OU 2 Trans Professors comment doesn't change the fact that every major psychological, medical, pediatric, and psychiatric association in the United States acknowledges that, biologically and psychologically, sex and gender is neither binary nor fixed. I implore you apply some more perspective and empathy in your work. If you personally disagree with the findings, then by all means share your criticisms, but make sure to do so in a way that is appropriate and using the methodology of empirical psychology, as aligned with the learning goals in this class. If you have any additional questions or concerns about this or would like some additional educational resources, I would be happy to discuss this further and provide you with them. 3 TPUSA OU Additional professor Megan Waldron (She/Her/Hers) November 16, 2025 at 3:09 PM Samantha, I am the other instructor for this course, and I have also taken the time to read your paper. I concur with Mel on the grade you received. This paper should not be considered as a completion of the assignment. Everyone has different ways in which they see the world, but in an academic course such as this you are being asked to support your ideas with empirical evidence and higher-level reasoning. I find it concerning that you state at the beginning of your paper that you do not think bullying ("teasing") is a bad thing. In addition, your paper directly and harshly criticizes your peers and their opinions, which are just as valuable as yours. Disagreeing with others is fine, but there is a respectful way to go about it. That goes for discussion posts as well as reaction papers. Please employ more thoughtfulness in your future assignments TPUSA OU
November 29, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
kissphoria.bsky.social
OU has put the professor here on administrative leave:
The University of Oklahoma takes seriously concerns involving First Amendment rights, certainly including religious freedoms. Upon receiving notice from the student on the grading of an assignment, the University immediately began a full review of the situation and has acted swiftly to address the matter. First, the college acted immediately to address the academic issue raised by the student. College leaders contacted her on the day her letter was received and have maintained regular communication throughout the process. As previously stated, a formal grade appeals process was conducted. The process resulted in steps to ensure no academic harm to the student from the graded assignments. Second, the student reported filing a claim of illegal discrimination based on religious beliefs to the appropriate university office. OU has a clear process for reviewing such claims and it has been activated. The graduate student instructor has been placed on administrative leave pending the finalization of this process. To ensure fairness in the process, a full-time professor is serving as the course instructor for the remainder of the semester. OU remains firmly committed to fairness, respect and protecting every student's right to express sincerely held religious beliefs. The UNIVERSITY of OKLAHOMA
November 30, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
davidakaye.bsky.social
👀 when it comes to "harassment" and student protest, northwestern has given the trump administration what appears to be a veto over changes in policy: "Northwestern shall not revise or modify these policies and procedures without the consent of the Assistant Attorney General".

horrible.
heidikitrosser.bsky.social Heidi Kitrosser @heidikitrosser.bsky.social · 8d
You've heard of the Friday night news dump. Here's the Friday night of Thanksgiving wknd dump. For special circumstances, like when the faculty assembly votes 595-4 against paying to end a shakedown and you do it anyway. Link to agreement here: bulkmail.northwestern.edu/trk/click?re...
mattheweadie.bsky.social Matthew Eadie @mattheweadie.bsky.social · 8d
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university

Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Reposted by Will Mason
drewharwell.com
If the U.S. was at war, Pete Hegseth's order would be a war crime, a military lawyer said. Instead, it might just be murder. wapo.st/49KbUJ1
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
nkalamb.bsky.social
This is a really sick story.

From everything I know, Boston’s Logan Airport is a legitimately dangerous place to travel through.

abcnews.go.com/US/19-year-c...
A 19-year-old college student who was on her way to surprise her family for Thanksgiving break was detained at a Boston airport and later deported despite a federal judge's order blocking her removal, according to her attorney. Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, who entered the U.S. from Honduras when she was 8 years old, was about to board her flight to Texas last Friday to visit her parents and siblings when airport authorities told her to step aside, her attorney Todd Pomerleau told ABC News.
November 27, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
nycsouthpaw.bsky.social
The Trump administration has reacted to a small scale lone wolf attack by in DC announcing a sweeping collective punishment, using the organs of government to heap blame on partisan rivals, and potentially dissuading anyone from collaborating with US forces abroad for a generation.
mikeeckel.bsky.social Mike Eckel @mikeeckel.bsky.social · 10d
CIA statement about the Afghan man identified as the gunman who shot two National Guardsmen in Washington
November 27, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
alteranthony.bsky.social
The best metal of 2025 as selected by Spyros and me for @popmatters.com.

Banger list all around ft Antiversum, @allieinchains.bsky.social, Mendoza/fluke-mogul/Pérez (@burningambulance.bsky.social), @gonemage.bsky.social, OvO, Retromorphosis, Stygian Ruin...

🔗 www.popmatters.com/best-metal-a...
November 26, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Will Mason
threadotweets.bsky.social
lauren @NotABigJerk For everyone visiting their parents this week: LG tvs call it TrueMotion Roku/TCL calls it Action Smoothing Samsung calls it Auto Motion Plus Sony calls it MotionFlow Panasonic calls it Intelligent Frame Creation Amazon Fire TVs call it Motion Processing 12/25/22
March 1, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Reposted by Will Mason
liberalcurrents.com
"The most stirring contemporary defenses of liberalism, like Elizabeth Anderson’s 𝘏𝘪𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥, demonstrate a combined commitment to liberalism’s merits along with an honest understanding of where we have gone wrong. Unfortunately, many others adopt a small-c conservative defensiveness."
Liberalism or Inertia? Cass Sunstein's "Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom"
Cass Sunstein’s book adopt a small-c conservative defensiveness that belies a now requisite rejuvenating liberal imagination.
www.liberalcurrents.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
pbump.com
A reminder, as Trump boasts about having "never worked so hard in my life" that he is playing golf more often now than he did in his first term and in less than five years has already played golf more often than Obama did in eight. www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
Trump has visited a Trump Organization property on 113 days of the 311 days of his second term in office. He has likely played golf on 76 days. That is a visit to a property on 36.3 percent of all of the days he's served since Jan. 20, 2025, and a likely round of golf on 24.4 percent of days. At that pace, he would likely play golf on 357 days by Jan. 20, 2029, bringing his two-term total to 616 days. He has visited a Trump property on 80.7 percent of weekend days during his second term, with a likely round of golf on 73.9 percent of weekend days. At this point in his first term, he had visited a Trump Organization property on 103 days and likely played golf on 65 days.
November 26, 2025 at 2:06 PM
willmasonmusic.com
when I am utterly exhausted, as I am now, I tend to pull arcane vocab words out of my ass (to wit: arcane; not to wit: ass), and I just told a student their synth tone was xeric and what are they going to do go "ah ok cool yea i was also thinking it was xeric"
November 24, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Reposted by Will Mason
jenniecoughlin.bsky.social
A @nytimes.com investigation has found that state prison guards have been credibly accused of engaging in such behavior — putting inmates in restraints and then assaulting them — far more often than was previously known.
Restrained, Beaten, Asphyxiated: New York Prison Guards’ Brutality Grows
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:50 PM